Cocktail · Rum Cocktails

Daiquiri Recipe

Name: Daiquiri
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 drink
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 60 ml White rum; 25 ml Fresh lime juice; 15 ml Sugar syrup

Rum, lime and sugar. The test of a good bar.

White rum

Base Spirit

~20%

Approx ABV

Easy

Difficulty

3 min

Prep Time

🥂 Coupe 🧊 None, served up Tart, clean, bright

The classic daiquiri has three ingredients and nowhere to hide. Fresh lime juice and a clean white rum are the whole recipe.

Ingredients

Makes

60 ml White rum
25 ml Fresh lime juice
15 ml Sugar syrup

Garnish: Lime wheel

How to Make a Daiquiri

Add rum, lime juice and sugar syrup to a shaker with ice.
Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

Best Bottles for a Daiquiri in India

Top pick

Bacardi White Rum

From ₹205 · ★ 7.2/10
Light and clean

Budget

Old Monk White Rum

From ₹150 ·
Budget friendly white rum

Premium

Maka Zai Rum

From ₹2,550 · ★ 8.1/10
Indian craft rum with more character

Prices are the lowest listed India price and vary by state. Check each spirit page for the full state-wise table.

Tips for a Better Daiquiri

Taste before you strain. If it is too sharp, add 5ml of syrup. If it is too sweet, add 5ml of lime.
Chill the glass in the freezer for ten minutes before you pour.

About the Daiquiri

The Daiquiri is named after Daiquirí, a beach and iron-mining village near Santiago de Cuba. The usual credit goes to Jennings Cox, an American mining engineer working there around 1898, who is said to have mixed local rum with lime and sugar for guests when the gin ran out. Cubans had almost certainly been drinking the same combination long before anyone wrote it down.

In 1909 a US Navy medical officer, Lucius W. Johnson, took the recipe home to the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. In Havana, Constantino Ribalaigua of El Floridita refined it and created the frozen Daiquiri, which Ernest Hemingway made famous.

A proper Daiquiri is shaken and served up with nothing but rum, lime and sugar. Bartenders use it to judge each other, because there is nowhere to hide a mistake.

Daiquiri Variations

Hemingway Daiquiri (Papa Doble): white rum, lime, grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur, with little or no sugar.
Frozen Daiquiri: blend the same ingredients with a cup of ice.
Strawberry Daiquiri: add 4 or 5 fresh strawberries and blend or muddle.
Aged Rum Daiquiri: a lightly aged gold rum for more depth.
Tommy's Margarita: the same three-part idea with tequila, lime and agave syrup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in a Daiquiri?

A Daiquiri is made with 60ml (2 oz) white rum, 25ml (0.75 oz) fresh lime juice and 15ml (0.5 oz) sugar syrup. It is served in a coupe.

How strong is a Daiquiri?

Made to this recipe, a Daiquiri is about 20% ABV and contains roughly 19 g of pure alcohol. That is about 1.4 US standard drinks, 1.9 Australian standard drinks or 2.4 UK units. It has around 175 calories per serving.

What is the Daiquiri ratio?

A classic Daiquiri is about 4 parts rum, 2 parts lime juice and 1 part sugar syrup, adjusted to taste. This recipe uses 60ml rum, 25ml lime juice and 15ml sugar syrup.

Is a Daiquiri always frozen?

No. The original Daiquiri is shaken with ice and strained into a coupe. The blended, fruit-flavoured version is a later style.

What is the best rum for a Daiquiri?

A light, dry Cuban or Puerto Rican style white rum such as Bacardi Carta Blanca. A lightly aged rum that has been filtered clear gives more flavour.

What is the difference between a Daiquiri and a Margarita?

Both are sours. A Daiquiri uses rum and sugar syrup. A Margarita uses tequila and orange liqueur, usually with a salt rim.

Drink responsibly. The legal drinking age in India varies by state, from 18 to 25. Alcohol content shown is an estimate and changes with ice, dilution and the strength of the bottle you use. We do not sell alcohol.

About the Author

Shivam Sharma

I am the founder and editor of The Spirit Atlas. With a deep appreciation for fine spirits, I built this platform to be the most helpful and honest spirits guide for Indian readers — covering everything from Scotch and Indian single malts to rum, gin and tequila, along with prices across every major Indian state. My goal is simple: to make the world of spirits a little more approachable for everyone.

Last updated: October 2026